Waiting for the Sun
by Toni765
Summary: This story takes place a few years after Elena's introduction to the pack and a few years before her move to Toronto and the events Bitten. A woman who has supernatural abilities of her own attempts to help Clay. She ends up being changed into a werewolf as a result and must learn to reconcile what she was with what she has become. Eventual Jeremy/OC First time trying a story
1. Chapter 1

Authors notes: I don't own any characters from Bitten.

I wanted to look at how things may have been different if Elena hadn't been the only woman around. Plus I think Jeremy needs a little romance in his life.

Rated this M because I wanted to be safe if thing go there

Siobhan is pronounced - shiv + awn

* * *

It was just another mutt hunt, notting I haven't done before. This time though things didn't go as expected. I was sent to deal with one mutt, but he apparently had some back up and this is bigger then we thought.

Now, I'm injured, again its happened before, a lot really, but its bad this time. The most usual thing resulting from the nights events would be the woman who was injured and bitten by the mutts, and currently riding in the back of my SUV still clinging to life.

By the time I reach Stonehaven it's about 4 am, meaning no one would be up. My cell phone having been damaged in the fight kept me from calling ahead and informing Jeremy, my Alpha of the situation.

I drive up to the front door, as I get out of the SUV I yell for Jeremy, even if he is asleep he will hear it. In my rush to get to the back of the vehicle, I forget my injuries and slip in the drive way. I must be worse then I thought, but I still don't have time to worry about that. I Yank open the back door and pull the woman out, as I bellow for Jeremy again. It causes a small groan from the woman in my arms but other then that she hardly moves.

Lights are coming on upstairs. I rush to the kitchen, which serves as a makeshift med room in emergencies, still cradling the woman in my arms. Her dark braid swings as I lay her on the table.

Jeremy is there just after me "What happened?" His tone is urgent as it gets for him but calm compared to anyone else. He starts to check on her vitals and moves on to the wounds and bites quickly.

"Things went sideways with the mutt, he was working with someone else. They blindsided me, and attacked the woman. Bit her too." It was enough of an explanation for now. Jeremy nodded as he inspected the wounds.

As she lay there on the table I wonder if I died the right thing. Her pale skin was even paler now, with gray undertones, breathing shallow and labored. Her light blue scrubs were covered in blood as was the id badge that sill clung to one pocket, proclaiming her to be Siobhan, RN. In the light of the kitchen the wounds made by tooth and claw on one shoulder, a calf, and at her ribs seemed worse now. I was also able to clearly see the bruising on her face and the head wound that had matted her hair with blood before I wrapped it up to stop the bleeding. All of my makeshift bandaging didn't help very much, but the stopped the bleeding, mostly. But there were so many wounds.

When Jeremy removed the scrubs to attend to her shoulder and the gash in her ribs he reviled angry looking bruises on one side. Probably resulting from he impact with the wall at the hospital, she must have some broken ribs too. And a broken writs from the bruising that surround one in much the same shape of a man's hand.

Elena is in the kitchen doorway looking sick. This is the first time she has seen someone after they were bitten and the transformation process has started. Being that she is still has not completely accepted her wolf her reaction is not surprising. She hates that I bit her and gave her no choice, I though it was the only way, but It was wrong. Now I try to make up for that everyday. Usually I fail but I will keep trying.

For the next few hours at least thing go as expected. Jeremy gives Elena and I orders to help with trying to patch up Siobhan as best he can in preparation for the next stage of her change.

When Jeremy is sure it's ok to move Siobhan we take her to the basement and place her in the cage. The initial chaos is over, now we wait. The waiting will be worse and it's going to upset Elena, as it brings up memories and emotions from her change into a werewolf. I regret that but I really didn't have much of a choice, and when it all done hopefully Elena will accept my bringing Siobhan here.

After a werewolf bit it takes days for the victims transformation from human to werewolf to be complete. So once Siobhan was locked in the cage the basement was prepared so that someone would be able to say with her during this time. From past experience I knew it would be Jeremy for a majority of the time, but Elena and I would spell him from time to time.

Now it was time for me to explain all that transpired and led us here.

I had been sent after a mutt named Jack McMillan. A fairly big man taller then me, most of the McMillan's are. Until recently he has been a low life dealing in petty crime, B&E's, muggings, and the like. A few months he upped the anti when he moved to Portland Maine and started working as a knee breaker for a loan shark named Jackson. He's killed a few humans in the process, and may have killed two women as well, however we cant confirm that. So, now its time he gets the message to move along and follow the laws that keep our kind hidden from human eyes.

Jack has been drawing too much attention and is a risk to our kind. This is the first time I have been sent to deal with him. My job today was to make him see that working in Portland was a very bad idea, and he didn't want to do that any more, and he wanted to follow our laws. If he didn't listen or if I felt that he had every intention of continuing this path I was to deal with the threat he presented and kill him.

I meet him in the parking lot of the run down seedy little motel he is staying in. We were in the back and anyone who saw us wouldn't report anything given we were in human form and they see this kind of stuff regularly here. It is a place where people mind their own business.

Our discussion had become intense rather quickly. I mean this guy make Elena look like she has a level head.

"It's the law McMillan, pack or not you follow the law. You'er bringing to much attention and low life job or not you don't kill humans" I tell him in a low vice, one that scares anyone who has any sense.

"Who's to say those guys were human. Hell they seemed more like weasels, and they knew what was coming for them. So why not me? I did humanity a favor taking them out" He must have practiced this speech. "I have a sweet set up here _Danvers_ " He said my name like it was an insult. "I didn't get the silver spoon like you, I worked hard to get this and you and the pack will not force me to leave and you'er not going to tell me what to do."

Suits me, better to deal with hime now then wait and let him become a bigger problem.

He rushes me, like a bully use to fighting someone smaller and weaker. I move to the side and get a solid hit on in to the kidneys. It draws an "oof" out of him. On his way down he grabs my leg, trying to pull it from under me. He must have had a knife because there is a sharp pain in the side of my thigh above the knee. Mutts always cheat.

I slam both fist into the back of his head and he goes down. I put some distance between the two of us so that I am out of his reach as I get the knife out of my leg. He stumbles to his feet and gives a nasty sneer. His impact with the pavement broke his nose and made is face a bloody mess.

From nowhere a truck comes speeding into the lot and straight at us. We move farther apart and dodge out of the way but I must have been the target because the driver followed my path and rammed into me. Then the world went black.

By the time I started to come to I was in an emergency room, but I was going in and out of consciousness. I guess the occupants of the seedy motel noticed a guy getting run over. Sure I could have healed given time and more likely if I had had some backup to help me, rather then being left for dead by Jack and his partner, but all the same being incoherent and in a hospital was all kinds of bad for me and the pack. Then again had I been left in the lot Jack and his buddy probably would have shown back up to finish their job on me and get the bragging rights of killing Clayton Danvers. God help me. Still, it just takes one blood test while I'm here and we could all be exposed. Unfortunately being in and out of conciseness left me unable to flee.


	2. Chapter 2

Sometime later there was a light shaking of my shoulder.

"Hey, HEY. Wake up already big guy" said a voice from nearby. It was enough to get my brain moving. I must have been dosed with some pain killers though because I was still groggy and lagging even though I knew I needed to move, get out, and get the pack.

"Come on I though you guys were tough, you NEED to wake up."

I blink in response. Who the hell would have the nerve? My eyes open, still bleary, but open. I see a woman of average hight, pale complexion, with dark hair that had been braided and hung over on shoulder, who was wearing hospital scrubs. Guess thats who has the nerve. She also seems unmoved by my glare.

"Good, that got your attention. Can you understand me?" she says sounding pleased. The corner of her mouth twitches up when I narrow the glare.

"Look I've done what I can to heal you," at that my look turns questioning and I grunt. She _did what she could to heal me_? That is an odd phrasing even in a hospital for this day and age.

"They were going to take you into surgery, we both know thats not a great idea, not for your kind. I moved you here and healed you best I could so quickly. Your internal wounds, Broken arm, the knife wound, and concussion are healed. I helped the ribs along so they are not broken, but they are still fractured. This isn't a place they will look for you so you still have some time to recover. Given what I was able to do and your heightened healing you should be able to walk out of here pretty soon, maybe twenty minutes or so." She looked sincere. I was in a darker hospital room with the blinds drawn and no machines attacked to me. It was quiet here too. I couldn't make out the usual hospital sounds nearby so this must be an isolated area.

What the hell is going one? I'm still trying to work my way out of the mental fog and this is not helping. True I don't feel like I'm in the shape that I was in the last time I was awake. But Healed? She thinks she healed the damage from a truck ramming into me?

"I was able to get to you before anyone drew any of your blood, so you don't have to worry about that. Your clothes and belongings are over there" she points to the table on the far wall with a bundle that looks like my clothes. "When you are able to you can just go. You'll just be another patient who bolted. No one will really have the time to look into it to and find you. Will you be ok if I leave you here?" She pauses at that.

A deep sigh is followed by "Well, what I really mean is are you able to keep your self in check and get out without going fuzzy and hurting anyone?" somehow she manages to say all of this as if it was a normal every day thing. As though she has this kind of conversation regularly. I'm alarmed to say the least. What does she know, and how does she know it?

"ARE. YOU. GOOD? I need to be sure I can leave you here." I grunt an affirmative. This is a matter I should take to the Alpha and deal with when I'm not drugged and dealing with injuries. He would know better what to do and how to determine what's going on with this nurse, or psych ward escapee whichever it turns out to be.

She starts to gather up some stuff. I start to test my mobility. The sooner I'm out of here and get ahold of my Jeremy and the pack the better.

My head is swimming so I don't hear what I should have in that moment.

The door to the room we are in bangs open with the force of someone trying to prove how big and bad they are. No real surprise its Jack and a man that looks enough like him to be related. Both look ready to throw down. It's clear they are looking to finish the job they started on me.

FUCK! The nurse is between us. Palms out toward them. She may be loony toon's but I can't let them kill her.

"Whatever is going on between you fellows It can wait. If you don't leave now I will call security." She has the authority of a teacher or mother, strong and firm. If we were all humans it may have even worked.

Instead I'm trying to pull the IV out, while working to get my body to respond so that I can get out of bed.

"Oh no, Security! We really should leave" mocks Jack. His laughter is harsh and cruel. He likes hurting women, its in the file we have on him back in Stonehaven.

My feet hit the floor but my knees are not able to hold me up as I try to stand and I get aquatinted with the floor.

"Do you smell that?" Its Jack's counterpart "She smells…..good. Not like Elena good, but better then most. What makes you smell like that honey?" He's met Elena before? Why cant I place him?

"Bathing. Regally. You should give it a try. Now you need to LEAVE." She is backing up getting closer to the call button. She'll never make it. They want her to think she can but the two will attack before she gets there.

Jack's buddy is the first to move. He swings at her and …she ducks out of the way. The surprise on his face is mirrored on my own. Not many humans could do that against a werewolf. We are faster and stronger then them, it's not a fair fight. As she comes up the nurse rams the hell of a hand into his nose then kicks at his knee. Their is a pop and the man goes down holding is noes as blood is spraying from it.

I've pulled myself up with the bed and I'm trying to cross the room to them walking like a lame drunk.

Jack reaches out grabbing the long hair of her braid, and flings her to the wall. She slams against it, hard, and slides down.

The counter part is recovering and notices me. He pushes himself up and blocks my path as Jack moves to the nurse who's now a heap on the floor.

I start trading a few blows with the counter part. A quick series of jabs and punches. Any other day I'd have finished this before it began. Funny how a truck can change that. I keep working at his face and head, I want him disoriented. He knows were some of my weak points are now too and goes for my ribs. There are a few crunching sounds that can't be good.

Somehow the nurse grabbed a medal tray used to hold instruments and slammed it into Jack's head. It hurts him but not enough. He slaps her down then grabs the front of her scrubs. From a pocket she pulls out a syringe and stabs it into Jack's arm pushing the plunger down. That must have been for me if I wasn't _Good_.

I take a solid kick to the stomach. It knocks me back. When I het the ground the breath is knocked out of me and my head connects loudly with the floor. The dizziness and dissertation take the for front again.

"BITCH" Jack says and punctuates it with a loud sounding smack of flesh. There is a soft cry from the nurse.

"Leave him!" The yell is sharp and leaves no room for argument. "We can deal with him later. Lets get this bitch back to Arnold and see what she's worth, she may very well be the bigger prize here" With that I'm left alone, in the quiet out of the way hospital room. Gone as quickly as they showed up.

I roll trying to get up, Damn it. Damn IT! This is such a cluster fuck of a day. I can't let them take her. She had tried to help me, no matter how foolish it was for her to stand up to werewolves. I can't let them do what they will to her.


	3. Chapter 3

Following the sent trail left by Jack, his buddy, and the nurse wasn't too hard. There was a good amount of blood to follow. Now that I'm more alert and on the trail I can tell that she does not smell like other humans, and yet, not quite the same as a werewolf either. It's more like before a born werewolf changes for the first time, when they just have an underlying sent that marks them as werewolf. But she's not one of us it is a vaguely feral sent not a specifically wolf sent but animalistic and…sweeter? I don't know. The trail is more important the mystery of her sent so I focus on that.

I gave myself enough time to put on the cloths I needed jeans undershirt and shoes and grabbed my wallet with ID and car keys, and left the rest before I followed my prey out of the hospital. Had it not been for the blood I would have lost the trail in the myriad of smells there.

I hadn't been following the trail long, but was a long time for a situation like this. Humans break easy, especially when in the hands of animal like Jack McMillan.

Apparently you cant keep a determined RN subdued for long either because I heard a voice from a nearby alley.

"That's it man, you have to stop! She isn't fighting anymore. You did it. Now we need to get her to Arnold. If you keep going she'll be dead and we'll have no prize to give him." SHIT! It was the buddy. That meant the growl from the alley was Jack, and I was too late.

As I look into the alley I see the counterpart off to one side, across from him is Jack in wolf form standing over the body the nurse who wasn't moving.

I was down wind and they were to engrossed to notice me. At least that was working for my.

I rushed into the alley. Normally the one in wolf form would be my priority. But it looked like he was unsteady from whatever had been in the syringe. So I struck the counter part. I hit him like he hit me with the truck. After the night I've had it felt good.

There was a loud popping sound as his head hit the ground and he was out of the fight for good. Jack turned to me becoming as unsteady as I had been earlier and chose to run rather then fight.

If I stopped and checked on the nurse he would be gone. If I pursued and she was alive she wouldn't stay that way for long.

I chose the check on the woman. Elena always gave me shit about not giving a damn about humans. She wanted me to be a better person, one like her who cares about people. It's not like I don't care about people, they just have to be people I know, which meant pack. But this woman had tried to save me, may have even healed me. I couldn't let her die alone in some dirty alley. It could be that Elena was starting to get through to me.


	4. Chapter 4

Jeremy's POV

I listened to clays story, and only interrupted so that I could take a look at his wounds. Looking him over I wouldn't have said that he was hit by a truck. Most of the sings of that were gone. Wether his ribs had been fractured in the hospital will remain a mystery, because some are clearly broken now, quite likely from the fighting. He did seem a bit concussed though. I bandaged his ribs and tended to the flesh wounds.

He finished detailing the nights events. I nodded, this was an unusual situation. At this pint the sun was up and Clay was clearly exhausted. It had been a long day followed by an even longer night for him.

I tell Clay "I want you to go up stairs and eat. Then you need to go rest. We will discuss our course of action with these mutt after you have had some time to recover. I'm not sending you after them again until we know more" He goes upstairs with no resistance.

"Do you believe him?" Elena questions. I nod. "But don't you think this whole thing is odd?"

"Of course it is, but Clay has no reason to be dishonest in this."

"So you don't think he bit this woman also in an attempt to make me stay?"

That question surprises me. "No, absolutely not, even if Clay had a reason to bite her he would have never don this." I wave my hand indicating the injuries the mutts had inflicted. "Whatever you think of him, you know I'm right about that."

Elena didn't look fully convinced. She gazed at the woman for a while longer. "So what happens now?"

I sigh "Now we wait. It takes a few days for the change to be complete. The injuries will make the transformation more difficult for her, but I will do what I can to help her along. I may need you to help as well, being that you have experienced this it could calm her and make it easier for her to trust us."

Elena nods and sniffs at that. This must be hell on her right now. Although Clays bite was the smallest break in the skin that he could manage it was a violation of her trust. She didn't have to deal with the physical attack but she is still recovering from the emotional one.

"You should go eat and rest as well. We need to rest wile when can because we may not have the chance to later" I pull her into a quick hug, Then move her to the stairs. Maybe I can shield Elena from the worst of this, but if the woman dies Elena will not handle it well. So over the next few days I must have Elena down here enough that she can bond with Siobhan (that was her name right? I'm not completely certain but I need to start thinking of her as a person with a name) so that she is more likely to survive, my instincts tell me that will be important, but I also need to make sure Elena isn't in here so much that in the event of Siobhan's death it will make it impossible for her to stay. I don't even think that is a line I can walk. It leaves not middle ground.

Elena brings me breakfast and coffee, then leaves silently. At least I didn't hear her and Clay get into a fight while she was up there.

I make a call to Antonio, quickly informing him of the situation. He will make the calls and do the leg work to make sure no questions are asked about a man who had been in the hospital and disappeared even though he was seclude for surgery. Antonio would also come up with a way to cover up Siobhan's disappearance. Then there was also a matter of the dead werewolf in the alley to be cleaned up. I trusted Antonio to make sure not connection was made between the three events.

Then I moved on to the first problem for me to figure out. Jack McMillan. He had been up to more then we knew. Clay and Siobhan had paid the price for our ignorance. That will not happen again.

So long as I'm down here I start to pull records and files on Jack, his family, and known associates. In short what I find confirms that he does have family that are werewolves. Cousins Mike, Josh, and Brian, as well as an uncle Arnold. From the descriptions we know Josh is dead, thanks to Clay. He had had a thing for Elena, as many mutts who meet her do, and therefore "ran into her" a few times. I update some information in the files now that I know for sure that Arnold is around and potentially the head of the mutts operation. That leaves Mike and Brian as wild cards. Order of business will be find the other two cousins and determine if they are involved. Then see just what Arnold and Jack are up to. I set the folders aside for Elena to work on she usually keeps tabs on the mutts and knows them best out of all of us.

My next problem is Siobhan. Weather or not she healed Clay isn't something I can answer. It's out side of my realm of understanding. And it's a moot point if she does not survive. I am certain however that she knew of us, werewolves. That was forbidden information, I need to find out how she found our about our existence and how she knew Clay was one. Being that Siobhan would not be able to answer questions for the time being would hamper figuring that out. However the questions regarding Siobhan are not as pressing as the mutt problem. I decide that after Antonio has dealt with the issues at the hospital I will have my friend and his son Nick help Elena gather the information we need.


	5. Chapter 5

Siobhan's POV

Everything hurt, that was for sure. It was like having the flu but ten times over and being ripped into. I try not to move or make a sound. It would only increase the pain. I don't remember going to bed sick though. What did I do?

It hurts too much to think clearly. I remember flashes, being at work, it was a hard day in the ER there were so many traumas that came in and I stayed late making a 12 hour shift a 16 hours. I used a lot of my magic healing people. That would explain why I'm feeling some magic burn, I worked myself too hard. But there was more too it the that.

The man. It had something to do with him. He had been very handsome, rugged model handsome with blonde hair that would be the envy of may women. He had also been a werewolf, the sent of it was unmistakeable. I hid him and healed him, but it was at the end of a long shift with overtime to boot, so it was not my best work. Being that he was a werewolf his body should have made up for what I was unable to fix fairly quickly.

Except…..he never had the chance, we were attacked by two others. They had been werewolves as well.

Oh no, no no no, they bit me! They ripped into me. I felt so bad because my body was preparing for me to change into a werewolf! That didn't go so well for most people women especially. I was going to die horribly. It was enough for me to forget that I didn't want to open my eyes.

The light was blinding and made my head hurt so much more. Damn wolves! Squeezing my eyes shut didn't help. I think I'm going to be sick.

"I know it hurts, but I'm going to help. You are not alone, we can get you through this." The voice was gentile and kind. So at odds with my internal chaos that it just didn't fit. "Try to relax, your safe now" a hand brushes over my head uninjured shoulder.

I open my eyes to look at the speaker, but he is kind of bleary and seems distant. I do notice however that I am in a frigging cage. That gets me to sit up. A new panic blooming in my chest.

Im in a cage with a twin mattress and blankets. Im dressed in a shirt that is not my own and too big for me but covers a little past mid thigh. They changed my clothes while I was out? It not like I don't cut away peoples clothes to attend to them every day at work, but it's a bit different on this end and though I recognize the irony I fully feel the indignity.

"Who are you, why you do have me here?" It seems like a reasonable question for me to ask even if my voice was a bit hysterical. This wasn't helping the pain or sick feeling either. I must have some broken bones given how hard it was to move, but it was impossible to take full stock of my injuries with the werewolf curse changing my body. I tried for a position that added as little pain as possible but I'm not sure there was one.

"My name is Jeremy Danvers, my son Clayton brought you here, to our home after you were attacked" his voice is calm and level, much like his is speaking to a frightened animal.

"And the cage?" my voice bounced off the walls of the basement making me wince.

"A necessary precaution I'm afraid. It is to ensure both your safety and ours" He managed to say that like he regretted it a little, while being clear I wasn't getting out. "you should drink this, you will need it" he passes my a tin cup he filled with water. I take it with one shaky hands, the only one that is really working at the moment, and just hold the cup.

I'm not much in the habit of drinking drinks that are given to me by a man I don't know while he has me locked in a cage. His calmness can't change that. I sniff the cup and smell only the water and the metallic sent of the cup. After a moment he fills a second cup and drinks from it himself. OK, Thats great I know he is fine drinking this, but he could be immune or something. I just keep watching him. He just keeps sitting there exuding calmness, like this is a normal thing, and sips his drink.

I kind of want to play crazy person and throw the drink at him. It's annoying when your world gets turned upside down and someone else can be so damn calm.

"I assure you, it is just water, and you are dehydrated already. You really should drink." What is his deal? This is not the time for calmness. Not on my side at least.

"Your name does NOT tell me who you are. At least not in a way that will help me. I know you are one of them I just don't know what side you are on" I know I don't really know if the man in the hospital was someone I could trust, his aura was harder to read the most peoples, but I know he didn't attack me. He may have even tried to help me. Therefore I reason that if this Jeremy was with the blonde from the hospital I was more likely to be ok if I trusted him. If he was with the other two I wasn't going to drink a damn thing.

A small quirking of his lips at one corner of his mouth seemed to suffice as a smile. "Clayton was the man you said you healed. After you were taken from be hospital by the others, he went after you, then brought you here so that I could help you as you helped him."

Ok, I doubt the other two werewolves knew anything about the healing comment, so it stood to reason that this was the truth. Oh well, it's not like being drugged or poisoned would make much difference now. So I first sip then down the contents of the tin cup.

"Good" he leans forward I lean back, pressing into a sone wall. "Now can you tell me what you remember about what happened?"

I settled down on the mattress, not trusting my body to stay up right and told him what I remembered.

The telling of what happened drained me. My story was often stopped by coughing fits and moans of pain that I tried to keep down. Jeremy would make me drink more water then would ask me continue. By the time I was done I felt even more shaky and feverish then I had when I woke. My head felt as though it would split in two. I was ordered to rest, werewolves and their hierarchy didn't make them much for discussion it seemed. I couldn't argue anyway, it was to much for me to keep my head up and try to concentrate.


	6. Chapter 6

Jeremy's POV

I couldn't help but think about how small and delicate the women Siobhan seemed as she lay in the cage. I never understood my father's or other men's enjoyment in hurting a woman. Though I knew from living with Elena that women were not always as delicate as they seem, I also knew that many were. It was always my instinct to protect instead of harm. It seemed profane to use greater strength and speed to hurt another. I will never understand how others of my species can to this.

Siobhan was almost all the way through her transformation now. She hasn't been able to speak much after the first time she awoke. I was able to establish that she did know what we are and what she is becoming. She also recognized Clay when he came in and seemed unafraid of him. I am surprised that she has survived to this point. I just hope she can make it through.

Elena has come and gone a few times. Speaking softly to Siobhan, telling her she can make it and to trust me. It seemed to help Siobhan relax a little more in my presence. Elena always left with tears beginning to form in her eyes. I didn't let on that I had seen them, she wouldn't want me to.

I sent Elena out to follow up some leads with Clay, and gather information on the mutts who caused this. I didn't want Elena hear for this part.

I can tell by the quickness of Siobhan's breaths that The Change will come soon. I slipped into the cage to undo the bandages on her wounds. They would only hurt her in the process of her transformation.

A short time later Siobhan lurched awake, gasping for air and groaning in pain. I talked her though the change. The process then seemed to take longer then Elena's had. The wounds could be the cause of that. The change drag out forever, but she pulled through.

Siobhan had survived to become silver gray wolf with a pale underside who was about the size and hight of a natural wolf. Meaning she was a good deal smaller then most werewolves.

She lifted her head and looked to me, then limped closer to where I was crouched by the cage. It was had for her to move but she didn't have to go far to reach me. I had stayed as close to her as I could. She submitted and showed that she accepted my dominance. I placed my hand on her head and murmured softly to her trying to give what comfort I could, with that she curled up and went to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

I am good at this and I love the thrill of the hunt that chasing leads offered. The blood and gore that went with being a werewolf may never be something that I am fully comfortable with, but the hunt itself that was something different all together, for me.

Hunting with Clay….that I have mixed feeling about. On one hand we work well together as a team, I could always trust Clay to have my back, but I could also trust that he would bring out my animalistic nature at the same time.

As I scanned the room again, an impatient growl escaped my throat. "There is no way he would come back here. Not when he knows you are looking for him."

We sat in a bar that Jack McMillan frequents according to the receipts we found in his apartment. During the search I also found a few other leads, but this run down bar had seemed like the best bet to find him.

That was hours ago though. When we arrived I was only able to pick up an old trace of Jack here. It had been days old, just like sent at his apartment. I was convinced that Jack had fled.

"True as that may be, darlin, Jack McMillan has never been the brains of any outfit for a reason. There is no way that he would let the threat of the boogie man scare him off from a place that he feels is his turf" Clay said.

From the way Clay's eyes darted around the room and the hunch in his shoulders, I knew Clay was just as frustrated as I was. We were both ready to be out of here.

"You're confident of that? How could you possibly be so sure?" I turned a sly smile his way, if I can't give chase to my query I could at least entertain myself needling Clay.

Clay narrowed his eyes and gave me the slightest baring of his teeth in challenge. "I know animals. Jack felt like a bid dog getting the better of me in that parking lot, no matter how under handed the attack had been. But he was brought low because human nurse was able to hurt him, then I got the drop on him in the alley." Clay leaned back in his chair taking up more space and displaying the confidence he felt in his words. "Jack will need to prove to himself that he is a big and bad as he thinks he is. To do that he needs to be in a place he feels comfortable. This is that place."

Well, Clay killed that game.

"If Jack is aligned with Arnold there is no way he would be allowed to be that stupid" Arnold had always been smart enough to know how to remain a low enough priority that the pack does not have to chase him down. Sure he's into illegal stuff, most mutts are, but there are always more dangerous mutt we need to deal with first.

"If Arnold has started leading around a few pups that he is related to, his control of them won't be the same as it is with an Alpha. He can do little more then issue commands and hope that he has scared them enough that they follow."

"So why are we sitting around here" I gestured to the bar that I had now lost all patients with "instead of nailing Arnold's ass to the wall and getting answers." I heard the growl in my voice as my grasp on the wolf within slips a little.

"Because we need to know how far this goes. Jack is involved with out a doubt, he is mentally weaker then Arnold, and therefore the better prey to hunt down for answers."

With that I pushed myself out of my seat, went to the bar and ordered another pitcher of beer. More for the excuse of something to do something rather then a need for more drink. Given our increased metabolism, nursing a pitcher of beer or even four isn't enough to dampen our senses, and we needed to avoid drawing attention to ourselves. Moving to the bar also gave me the chance to catch the sent of some of the patrons for any traces of Jack.

I took deep breaths and sorted through all the smells I picked up in the bar. Most of the scents were unpleasant, they usually are in a place like this. Then I catch a fresh trace of eau de Jack McMillan, on my way back to Clay. It was came from two large, and obviously human, men. They had their heads bowed toward one another and their shoulders were hunched in what seemed like an intense conversation.

In an attempt to gather some more information I walked by their table and tried to pick up some pieces of the low conversation between the two men.

"….such a dick man. I get that our take was lower then he expected, but we still delivered. We always deliver." This was the bald man in the pair, whom I now dubbed Baldy. Clever I know.

"Thats the way these guys operate. They don't mess around. If we want to have a place in this operation we make damn sure we deliver what we say we will…." The rest of their conversation was snatched away by the sounds in the bar.

When I sat down with Clay again I told him what I discovered. "I also picked up a good amount of blood and fear from both of them."

"What does your gut tell you darlin, did jack lay the hurt on them"

"On them….no. If Jack was in the mood you think he was, these two would not be hanging out in here. They would be in a hospital….or a ditch, not drinking crappy beer in this even crappier bar."

"So, why do they smell like Jack?"

Clay was on high alert now, reassessing the bar for any threats. "Transference. They may not have been the target of Jack's rage, but if they were there when Jack made an example out of one of their group members it could explain the fear, blood, and smell of Jack."

Clay nods "We don't know for sure Jack is related to the operation they were discussing. But they could lead us to where Jack is now."

With that we had our next lead.


	8. Chapter 8

Elena's POV

Clay and I followed the humans to a hovel of an apartment not to far from the bar. After we knew where they were staying we tracked their sent to where they had come from.

A little before dawn their trail led us a warehouse not to far from the docks. It was a good place for the McMillan's to have set up operations. Out of the way enough that few would hear anything but not so far as to be inconvenient.

After I picked up on Jack and Arnold's sent we decided to stay back so that they would not pick up on us in turn. The area was begging to have some early morning works show up. At this point we needed to rest, and it was becoming clear we were likely to be spotted if we stayed to check things out during the day.

We were staying at a mid range motel on the first floor that was easy to get out of but also had a decent view of anyone who approached from the parking lot. Both of us were tired but after this type of tracking mission we were alway somewhat agitated. Our wolf natures feeling a bit teased by not having the chance to capture the intended prey.

The room door shut behind us hard enough that Clay must have given it a kick. "Don't worry we'll get them soon" I was't completely certain if he was talking to himself or me so I made no verbal response. Instead I started to shed my clothes. "I should update Jeremy on what we found" He said.

"It's early. If he is resting you should let him rest a bit longer, besides there isn't anything pressing that we can tell him." Though my statement was true I also needed to catch my metaphorical breath before dealing with what would be going on at Stonehaven.

I did the mental math in my head and confirmed that by now the woman, Siobhan, would either be a werewolf or she would be dead. Either way it was to much to deal with right now.

Clay nodded his agreement to wait. Then his brain must have switched from pack business to current events because his eyes turned hungry as they took in the fact that I only had my bra and panties on.

"We should sleep, it was a long night." I told him. Then I turn my back on him as I move toward the bed seeing if he would take the bait. I couldn't help the sly smile that crept onto my face. Clay made an excellent diversion so long at it wasn't him I wanted to avoid.

I didn't hear him move, I just caught a small sense of it behind me. As Clay lunged I side stepped out of his path so that he hit the bed. Then I pounced on his back riding his downward momentum to pin him down as I straddled his lower back.

With my hands pushing his shoulders into the bed I lean down so that I could whisper in Clay's ear. "You really didn't think it would be that easy did you" I said in a slightly sing song voice as I let my breath tickle him. Then I caught his earlobe in my mouth to give it a light suckle.

With that he gave a deep growl that I could feel through his body. An arm caught one of my thighs and held me while he pushed up and turned his body so that I was straddling his front.

"Course not darlin, I would be disappointed if it was" Then he reared up and captured my lips in a heated kiss. I basked in his taste and warmth. When Clay rolled us again so that he was on top I nipped his lower lip hard enough to get his attention. Then pushed him back so that I could strip off his shirt. He gave me a little huff of a laugh.

With the shirt out of the way I began to give nipping kisses across his chest and down his torso. His hands went to work to remove the remainder of my clothes.

Before I could help Clay out of his jeans he grabbed my wrist and moved so that I lay with my back on the bed and my hands were pinned above me by one of his hands. The free hand slid from my knee up to my breast caressing my curves has he went. One of his knees found its way to the apex of my thighs causing a delicious friction as we moved against each other. I couldn't help the way my hips bucked up against him.

He began to trail kisses across my body as his hand continued to explore me. Clayton Danvers was not a man of romance and poetry as most people saw it. The way that he would look at me and I would know that he longed for me with the depth of his entire being, was Clay's romance. The way he would touch and kiss me until I knew for sure that he loved every part of me, was his poetry.

By the time he finally slid into me I had such a feverish need for him that I was beyond coherent thought. It was well into morning by the time that we were both spent, and I was blessedly able to sleep without dreams.

* * *

"We plan on going back tonight. If we are lucky enough to find one of the mutts we will trail them till we find out where they went to ground. If not then we'll dig up what we can in the warehouse" That was Clay on the phone, presumably with Jeremy.

Not exactly what I wanted to wake up to. When I looked over Clay was sitting at the little motel table while he had his conversation. Hair still damp from the shower and wearing nutting but a towel. Damn he looked good. If it weren't for that conversation I would have started to tease him into round two.

Instead I made my way to the small bathroom. I needed to put some distance between Clay's conversation and myself. I only half listened to him speak as I took my time with the morning routine.

"She survived, then" I swear my heart stopped for a moment when Clay said that. I couldn't hear Jeremy's reply but I knew Clay would not have said that unless he was sure Siobhan was alive.

My legs felt weak and I griped the counter for support, overwhelmed by the emotions surging within me. Some women would covet the position of being the only female in a group let alone a species. Loving the status of being unique within her very own microcosm, but not me. The idea that I wasn't alone echoed in my head. I couldn't hold back the relief that that thought brought me. For years I had hoped and wished for this. I had wondered if maybe, just _maybe_ it would be easer to live with being a werewolf if I wasn't the only woman around.

But I also know that surviving the change and accepting life as a werewolf are very different things. Would she fight it as long as I did? I had fought against what I had become and it had resulted in me being in that cage for weeks. I fought Jeremy seeing him as my warden more then my proctor. Eventually his patience and love overrode my anger and fear. Will I have to watch that from the other side now?

I stepped into the shower and hoped against hope that the hot water could wash away all my fear and pain. _I was not alone_. But now another woman would suffer as I have. How could I wish for that, how could I feel happy at that news? A small part of me did and it shamed me to acknowledge that.

I needed to focus. All of this would not help her and it wouldn't help me. What would help was getting rid of the McMillan's and their messed up business so that we could all get on with our lives.


	9. Chapter 9

Siobhan's POV

The process of becoming a werewolf had helped heal most of my wounds from the attack. The damage to my shoulder and ribs was now minor and seemed as though it would be gone soon. Even so shortly after my first change Jeremy said that he needed to tend to the wound in my calf and to set my wrist. Then he shot me with some sort of drug. I may have tried to bit him for that but my memory is a bit hazy.

A week had passed since then and I was still in the freaking cage. My recovery meant that I was unable to move around for most of that time. Being immobile didn't change the fact that I was ready to be out of the cage and out of the basement. The slight mildew and earth sent down there mixed with the sent of my fear and pain had put me on edge.

"This is a very dangerous time for you. New werewolves are not able to control their changes nor are they mentally prepared psychological changes that develop as a result of their transformation. I am sorry, but until you are able to exert some measure of control over your new nature I have to keep you here." Jeremy said that in a very calm but authoritative voice.

I had understood at the time. However as the days continued to tick by the part of me that understood his logic became smaller and smaller.

Until today, as the day progressed a rage began to grow within me. First it was irritation with the way that no number of sponge baths would take the smell of fear and pain from the cage. It wasn't just mine. Many people had been here, non had a good experience. Then everything about my situation and this place was PISSING ME OFF.

My head gave an unnatural predatory jerk when I heard Jeremy in the kitchen above me. It must have been close to dinner time. That meant more barely cooked meat. It was supposedly better for the ravaging beast I had become that way.

That fading reasonable part of me wanted his company, wanted to hear his voice and see his kind eyes. Thinking that maybe he could help me push the rage away. The other part was anxious for his arrival so that I would have a target to loose my fury upon.

It was as though every physical and emotional hurt, every unshed tear, and every time I had to bit my tung in my entire life was beginning to rise up from some forgotten place within me and feed this unholy rage.

My body practically vibrated with my building fury.

When Jeremy brought my food down he seemed only mildly surprised at the snarling sounds I made.

"Hunger will wear away at your control, if you really want out I suggest you get a hold of yourself and eat" with that he placed the tray of food and drink close enough that I could reach it, but he didn't come so close that I could grab him. It was almost like he know what to expect.

That did it for me though. My mind screamed. I would not be patronized like some child. Who was this man to keep me here and speak to me like that. Alpha he may be, he was still a man.

Now having a target I flung myself at the bars separating us. I cursed and spat and growled. I said things that would make a demon step back for all my vileness. I tried to rip at the bars. When that didn't work I grabbed the try and flung my food and drink at him. Then continued to rave like a mad woman. In that moment, I was.

His only reaction to this was to raise an eyebrow and cross his arms over his chest.

So I beat the little metal tray against the bars until it became a useless misshapen thing. Then I flung that at him as well.

Jeremy heaved the sigh of the long suffering

My curses turned to agonized cries as the change forced itself upon me again. Jeremy stayed with me. He even coached me thorough the change, offering what help he could. The beast I had become wanted him to be as angry as I was. Why was he still so calm?

When a raving wolf who replaced the raving woman showed no signs of settling Jeremy had finally had enough. "I understand why you are doing this Siobhan. You may give in to your outrage, you have the right to that. I will not fault you for it. You have suffered a great deal because of the actions of others. But giving in to this will not serve you. Your anger will only feed upon itself until that is all you know. Don't let yourself become such a creature" Then he turned to leave sending back a "I will be back later. Hopefully you will have calmed yourself by then"

* * *

By the next morning my rage was replaced with shame. Like the rage it was a level of shame that I had never before experienced. Unlike the rage, the shame left room for coherent though.

I was grateful for the cage and the basement that I was locked in. No matter how uncomfortable it was to be down here my prison had saved me from becoming something that I would hate. If I had hurt anyone when overcome by fury I would have never been able to forgive myself.

Jeremy must have come back after I had exhausted myself. He had left fresh bedding and clothes for me along with the means for another sponge bath and to wash my hair. Being somewhat clean helped me feel a little more human agin.

When I picked up the shirt I realized it was one of Jeremy's. The shirt was a pale blue button down dress shirt that had seen better days. The Alpha's sent clung to it offering a reassuring comfort. I closed my eyes and inhaled Jeremy's sent deeper. I hoped he would not be angry with me for what had I said and done last night. I let out a small laugh. I had huffed and puffed but I could not blow this place down. I suppose that means I am not The Big Bad Wolf.

It didn't take long for Jeremy to bring down breakfast. I wondered why he would given what I had done with the last meal he had offered me.

I stayed seated on the floor near where he usually stood and kept myself busy braiding my hair. My eyes stayed down but I was able to screw up enough courage to speak first.

"I'm sorry. I should not have behaved that way or said such things to you" I sounded so meek, it was a foreign to me as the rage had been.

They tray of food scraped the ground as he slid it to me. "All is forgiven. Do you now truly understand why I have you down here?"

"I would have killed someone had I not been contained and I did't even know I was hulking out like that." I shook my head "I had absolutely no control of myself or my change"

"Strong emotions can cause the change. As a cruel twist of fate werewolves often find it more difficult to regulate their emotions." His hand lightly brushed at the tears on my cheek. I didn't even know I was crying. "Look at me"

It was impossible to refuse him, so I looked up and saw acceptance and concern in his eyes. leaving one had cupping my cheek his other arm had moved to my back bringing me into an awkward embrace with the bars of the cage between us. The contact was comforting, I felt infinitely more centered and grounded.

"It will get better" He must have sensed that I relaxed into him "Being with the pack will help"

I noticed for the first time that my new alpha was quite handsome. Then I felt the flutter of attraction run through me. That was just what I needed. A crush on the man that would be in charge of my life, because things were not complicated enough already. Oh yes, fate was indeed cruel.

It seemed after snuggle time Jeremy was in the mood to get down to business.

"Fist you absolutely must eat. Before you ask, yes you must to eat ALL of the food I brought" which was a ridiculous amount but he didn't seem to want my opinion. "If you remember you chose to skip dinner last night" well that was enough to bring back enough of the shame that I did as I was told without offering any argument.

Jeremy pulled a chair over to the cage and made himself comfortable as I ate. Apparently this was going to be a long and serious conversation.

"Explain to me how it is you knew Clay was a werewolf in the hospital" His voice was soft but it had an edge to it.

"Werewolves have a very distinctive sent" I noticed that I was playing with my hair and forced my hands down to my lap. I had moved so that I was sitting near him.

"I don't expect to have to play 20 questions here. Do not make me force every bit of information out of you. You will tell me all of it"

I met his eyes I was afraid how he would react to what I told him. "When I was younger I got to know a few werewolves who would visit my grandfather for counsel and healing. So I became familiar with the sent of a werewolf. It was also how I learned a little about their temperament and laws, as well as how people became werewolves."

He gave me a look that said to continue.

"I can identify most supernaturals by smell or by sensing them because I am…. or maybe _was_ sort of a supernatural hybrid. My father was a SpirtWalker, what most people would refer to as a shaman or medicine man, and my mother was a Druidess. I don't know how much of that is left within me now."

Jeremy had a blank look on his face as processed what I said. With little else to do I shifted around uncomfortably.

"I know werewolves are some of the worst in the supernatural community about getting the heebie jeebies when it comes to the more…abstract types of magic. I don't mean to make you upset you but it is-or was a part of me" I was playing with my braid again. I puffed out my cheeks and put my head against the bars, no longer daring to look at Jeremy. I was to afraid that he would decide that I was a mistake or not worthy of being here.

"I'm not upset, just trying to process what you said. This is strange to say the least this pack has kept to its self. I have never heard of any of us dealing with other supernatural races. I had only suspected their existence" I could hear that he was telling the truth. "Why don't you know if you are still are what you were?"

"Before the um, the change," I was having a hard time finding the right words today "I could see and feel things that others could not, such as seeing a persons aura or sensing the life within the earth. I had become skilled enough that the seeing just happened most of the time. It took more effort to not see something as simple as an aura then to see. As for the sensing it was almost like focusing in on a sound. Now when I reach to do such things all I feel is a jumbled mess and pain. As if the magic has been ripped from me and left behind just another wound."

I was crying agin. I hadn't realized until now just how much the change into a werewolf may have cost me. The essence of what I felt made me ME could be gone forever.

Jeremy's gentle voice was somewhat unsure. "Clay said you had some sort of a feral or animalistic sent to you before you were bitten. He said the mutts noticed it as well. He believes that was why they bit you rather then killing you and him at the hospital. Can you explain that" He reached out and gave my knee an awkward pat almost as though he did not know how to deal with all of this crying. Which would make sense, he like most werewolves probably had limited experience with crying females.

"Both Druids and SpritWalkers can take animal form. Not all, but some, and it usually takes a complicated ritual." I held out my arm and pulled back the sleeve of the shirt to exposed the inside of my left bicep where I had a tattoo done in the blue ink of the pict's. "The forms chosen though my rituals are the owl, horse, cougar, and sea turtle. Once that happened I had a vaguely animal sent I suppose."

Taking in that information Jeremy allowed his eyes to wander over my body. Unfortunately it was not in admiration. He seemed to be taking in my tattoos and trying to decide what other secretes may be held within them. Or he could be calculating how delusional I might be.

"How did you achieve this change in form?" To his credit he only sounded a little skeptical.

"Said the kettle to the pot" I gave him a wry smile.

"Maybe that is a little unfair. But in my defense I have fist hand knowledge of man changing into a wolf, but not of people having the option of taking other forms linked to a tattoo."

"True enough, but _There are more things in heaven and earth, than are dreamt of in your philosophy._ Just because you have not experienced or seen proof of such things does not mean they don't exist."

"I agree with that. Lack of evidence is not necessarily evidence of lack as they say, but you can excuse my questioning" He spayed his hands as he said that.

"I don't think I can truly explain how I could take the form of those animals than you can explain exactly how we can turn into a wolf. All I can tell you is that it never just happened. It always took a ritual and conscious effort. The transformation felt entirely different and when it was done my mind was that of a humans with the animals instincts. Unlike that of a wolf with underlying human thoughts as it is in wolf form."

Jeremy pinched his nose between his eyes as though all of this was giving him a headache.

"Does this change how you see me?" I finally give voice to my fears.

"Yes, I don't see you in quite the same way now." My heart sank a little "However if what you are really asking is if this changes my willingness offer you sanctuary and a potential place with in the pack, my answer is no this information does not change that"

I don't know how I would have reacted had his answer been different. Another stark reminder of how much my life had been turned on its head. I had been a solitary person for years, I didn't depend on others (well I didn't really have many people to depend on if I was honest, and I might as well be honest with myself). Yet now I didn't know how I would function if a man I hardly knew sent me away.

"One last question on this topic for now. You said you healed the worst Clays wounds? What can you tell me about that?" Jeremy questioned.

"More then anything else I was a healer. A talent that was passed from both my parents to me." I gave him a small smile. "I often thought that the similarities in the magic possessed by the Druid and SpirtWalker was the only reason my parents decided to procreate at all"

"Am I to assume the answer of how you healed is as ambiguous as the one for how you changed form?"

"Thats an extra question, but yes you would win money on that bet" Despite what he said I know a part of him was wary of me, even if he was still willing to put up with me for the time being.


End file.
